A few years ago I went on a run of interviewing authors on my podcast who had had near death experiences – or NDEs, as they’re frequently known. Though the stories of what these authors experienced beyond the veil of death varied, the impact that experience had on their lives was consistent.

I rarely start writing with some idea burning bright in my imagination. Particularly with these essays, if I’m lucky I’ve scratched one sentence onto a legal pad to serve as a reminder about an idea that came to me the day before while I was eating lunch; just as often, I’ve got nothing. So I sit and drink coffee and stare at the blinking cursor.